diff --git a/meta-mender-core/recipes-mender/mender-client/mender-client-cpp.inc b/meta-mender-core/recipes-mender/mender-client/mender-client-cpp.inc
index 6990c6a77..aaecdbd9b 100644
--- a/meta-mender-core/recipes-mender/mender-client/mender-client-cpp.inc
+++ b/meta-mender-core/recipes-mender/mender-client/mender-client-cpp.inc
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ MENDER_CLIENT ?= "mender-updated"
 
 # Don't download the googletest source in Mender CMakefiles.txt
 EXTRA_OECMAKE:append = " -DMENDER_DOWNLOAD_GTEST=NO"
+EXTRA_OECMAKE:append = " -DSYSTEMD_UNIT_DIR=${systemd_system_unitdir}"
 
 inherit cmake